*The LIADA is taking ACTION - Curbstoning fine is now capable of being enforced with partnership of the UMVC.

“Curbstoning” is the repeated, unlicensed “flipping” of used cars for
profit.

Curbstoning
is illegal in most cities. What’s more, curbstoners put consumers at risk,
release unsafe vehicles onto the streets, hurt local businesses, and deny local
governments the fees and tax revenue they need to provide essential public
services.

Because
enforcement resources are spread thin, it’s up to car buyers to be informed,
automotive dealers to be proactive, and municipalities to be responsive.

Would you buy a used car from a dealer who had no license, no
permits, no liability insurance, and not even a business address?

That’s
what you’re doing when you buy a car from a curbstoner.

The term
“curbstoning” comes from the practice of parking automotive “inventory” along
the curb, although many curbstoners also use vacant lots and unmonitored parking
lots as temporary places of business.

Curbstoners
are car “flippers” – people who regularly buy cheap cars, fix them up to look
decent, and sell them for a quick profit. They often pose as the car’s owner,
but they’re not – so they can dodge limits on the number of vehicles an
individual can sell before having to register as a dealer.

Curbstoned
vehicles may be lemons, salvaged, or even cobbled together from parts from the
wrecking yard. They may have been written off as total losses by insurance
companies due to collision, flood, or other damage.

Sometimes,
unethical used car dealers use curbstoning as a way to get rid of duds they
can’t sell on their lots.

Once you
buy a curbstoned vehicle, you have nowhere to turn if the car develops
problems. If the problems are serious enough, the car may fail inspection or be
denied insurance coverage. And, the law requires you to disclose the problems
when you sell the car.

According
to ABC News, experts estimate that 80% of the used cars in classified ads are
not being advertised by individual owners. And, some state licensing officials
say that as many as one in five cars sold outside a commercial automotive
dealership are curbstoned.

It is up to
you, as a buyer, to make an informed purchase. We’re here to help!